Apparatus for folding sheet material



Aug. 9, 1932. O, c, scHu z 1,870,754

APPARATUS FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 10, 1950 8 Sheets-Sheet l Aug 9, 1932.. Q. Q-SCHULZ 1,870,754

APPARATUS FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 10, 1930 8 sheets sheet 2 Au 9, 1932. o. c. $CHULZ 'i;8?9,754

APPARATUS FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 10. 1930 s sheets-sheet s Aug 9, 1932. c, SCHULZ 1,373,754

APPARATUS FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 10. 1930 8 Sheets-:ShBet 5 9, 1932- o c. sci-11:11.1 mmm APPARATUS FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 10, 1950 8 ShGGESwShGQ-i 5 (1 afwg,

Aug. 9, 1932. o. c. SCHULZ 1,870,754

APPARATUS FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 10, 1930 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 9, 1932. o. c. SCHULZ 1,870,754

APPARATUS FOR FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 10, 1930 8 Sheets-Sheet 8' 6a A 5a 26a Ill/Mar: 14% W W QMZMQW -fiy Patented Aug. 9, 1932 Tarts or'ro cARL' sorrULz, or cnroAe-o, ILLINOIS APPARATUS non rornrne snnnr MATERIAL Application filed December 10, 1930. Serial'No. 501,371.

My present invention relates to i'mproyements in machines for folding sheet'materlal, and more particularly relates to a folding machine for towels, napkins, handkerehiefs or similar articles.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine of novel construction designed to feed, and fold the article of sheet material with two longitudinally extending folds and with one or more cross folds, and to discharge thefolded articles from the machine.

The invention further aims to provide a construction in which the article may be folded crosswise, one, two, or three times as *r desired, by means of adjustment of the ma claims.

chine.

Other ob ects will appear from the following description, draw ngs and appended the cf Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View substantially on line alof Fig. 2.

Fig.5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 showing the action and construction of the '1 folding table.

Fig. 6 is a view of the'parts of Figg fiin raised or elevated position.

Fig. Tis a section on line 7'? of Fig. 6 showing the means of adjustment of the pivotal connection of the-main frame 2 to the folding leaves 26 of the table 5. v Fig. 8 is a detail plan view showing the means for gripping, feeding, and releasing the towels or other sheet articles.

Fig. 9 is a section substantially on line 9-9 of Fig. 8 showing the pick-up fingers or-jaws in gripping or closed position.

. Fig. 10. is a detail viewshowing the crossfolding processes performed upon the sheet material.

Fig. 11 is a detail view showing the connec-' tion of the lever a to the bell crank or rocker arm controlling the fold feeding lever 9. Fig. 11 is a rear view of rocker arm 64. together with eccentric and yoke, with the arm 64?) controlling feeding lever 9 broken away.

Fig. l2'shows a form of my invention in which the folding table is operated without the substantially vertical movement thereof.

Referring to the drawings, A-represents a table to which the towels T or similar articles tobe folded are manually delivered in unfolded condition, and are fed one by one by the gripping or feeding jaws 27 29 carried by the feed lever l, to table 5. The table 5 is moved up and down with respect to the machine framework designated at 1, 2, and controls longitudinal foldingleaves 26 connected by links 6, b to stationary centers J, J mounted across frame 164 so that when the table is in uppermost position, the leaves 26 are open asshown in Fig. 6. Each time that the table reaches this upper position, a towel T is delivered thereto. 7

The tablethen descends to lower position and the leaves 26 are closed as shown in Figs. 5 and 1, forming two lengthwise folds in the towel Tr At thesame time transverse fold forming lever 9 swings down and into engagement with the towelT at opening or slot 8 in the table 5 so that the towel is pushed through the opening in cross-folded condition as shown in Fig. 3 and is-passed between knurled rollers 10 and 10a which are spring cushioned as shown at 10?), I

The towel may then be delivered to the conveyor B by means of slide 11 (Figs. 3 and 10) by disconnecting the fold lever 12. If lever 12 is not 7 additionally fold the towel as shown in Fig 10 and will pass it between roller lOaand roller 13. Still another fold is produced by put out of operation, it will fold lever 15 which passes the twice crossfolded-towel or'other article between the roller 13 and spring cushioned roller 14 for i a third fold before its delivery to the discharge slide 60 and the conveyor B. Memhere 16 are disposed in grooves in roller B to prevent the towels from sticking to the rolls and to guide them to position for the final fold, the towels passing over guide member 61 and against abutment 62 before being engaged and folded by the fold lever 15.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there is an outer framework 1, and inner frame mem bers 2 supported on transverse shaft 3 which in turn bears at its ends on the outer frame 1. r The inner frame members 2 notch over this shaft and are also bolted to frame spreader member 1a which extends down'and across between them and acts'as a spreader. This member 1a also extends outward to connect with frame 1 and formsasupport for the inner frame and mechanism. Frames 2, 2 are further held in their proper relaudnship to each other by spreader 20;. 1 I

The source of power is indicated at 40 which represents a motor supportedon the frame 1 of the machine, the motor driving shaft 41 by'means of belt 41a and drive pulley 41?). (Figs. 1 and 2.) Referring to Fig. 2, the opposite end of shaft 41, which has its bearings bolted to frame 1, is provided with drive pinion 42 meshing with gear48 to drive cam shaft44 to which gear 43 is secured. Camshaft 44 has its bearings ininner frame 2. Gear 43 also meshes with gear 45 on shaft 46whichalso carries spur gear47. Shaft 46 is mounted inframe 2 also.. Gear 47 meshes with gear 48, the latter being fixed'to .the conveyor shaft'53 mounted in frame 2, which operates thebelt conveyor Bto. carry away the foldedarticle,all as shown in Fig. 3.

. A gear 49 is carried by the shaft 46 at the opposite side of the.machine, this gear driving roller gears 50 and 51 secured to rollers 10a and 10, respectively. Gear 49 also meshes with gear 52 secured to roller 14, all as shown in Fig. 1. All of the shafts andgearing are mounted invthe inner frame 2 with the. exception of drive shaft 41.

. The .cam'shaftr44, at one side carries a cam wheel ,6 provided with cam groove 6a, as shown best in Figs. 3and 2. A

The. table 5 on which the folding is-performed, :is mounted upon depending frame members 7. The frame members 7 are linked for substantially vertical movement to'the frame spreader portions 1411. by upper and lower link members 25 and 22. The lower link member 22 is pivotally mounted on a. shaft .23 secured to a frame portion 1a.

A roller 21 is carried by the link 22 and op-- to actu'ate fold lever 15..

provided with roller 20 mounted in a slot.

thereinasshown'in Figs. 3 and 4. The roller 20 is disposed within cam groove 18a and motion is thus imparted at the proper time Cam wheel 18 is mounted at the other end of shaft 44 from rain wheel6, as shown in Fig. 1.

Cam wheel 18 also serves to impart motion to the feed lever 4,'which is linked at its lower end to the frame 1 as shown at 4a in Fig. 1. The lever 4 is connected'to the cam wheel 18 by crank connection 63, so that it is swung backward and forward upon rotation of the wheel 18, to effect the feeding ofthe towels or other articles. from table A to folding table 5. I

Fold'lever-9 is pivotedto'th'e frame 2 and is provided with an arm'9a towhich is secured adjustable connecting rod 9? The other endof'the rod 9?) is secured to an arm 1 64b of'bellcranklever 64 'also'pivoted at 80 to frame 2. The bell crank lever or rocker arm 64 pivoted, at 80 has an eccentric 64a cast integral therewitln'andthe rocker arm 64 also has a pivotalconnection with the arm 4as shown at 1'2.

This eccentric 64a integrally carried by the rocker arm 64, rotates throughout the stroke relative to the yoke 65 which surrounds it, as the feed arm 4 moves. This changes the position of the yoke 65 relative to the feed arm 4 and rod 66 being connected to the yoke and to rocker 28 of the -gripping me'c'h-' anism,therocker 28 is maintained in a substantially horizontal position during the movement of arm 4. Thus, the rocker arm 64 with its integral eccentric 64a serves as an equalizer which keeps the rocker 28'substantially level. It also serves as an equalizer in its pivotal connection at '17 .with the arm 4 toconstrain the upper end ofthe arm-4 to substantiallyhorizontal or straight line motion." This is shown in Fig. 11.

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate thepick-up or gripping fingers onthe upper portion of the feed lever 4. The; rocker *28 carries upper grip'perfingers 27 fixed thereon. The rocker'28 also carries rocker member 30 pivoted t-heretofat 81. Thelower gripper fingers 29 are fixed on the rocker'30. and are adapted to be swung intoandout of gripping'enga'geinent with fingers 27 about pivot 31-of rocker 30.

The, coacting gripper. fingers 27 and 29 are normally held in-cl-osedor gripping condition by coiled spring 32 which bears upon rgckerSO and urges fingers 29=toward fingers The rocker 30 also carries an arm 30a'havproaching the material receiving end of the.

machine, and the gripper fingers are opened,

fingers 29. being swung downwardly and away from level fingers 27 about pivot31, and against the action of the spring 32.

The grippers then pass the dog 34. and snap closed on the cloth or other limp sheet material received from feed board A, the sheet material having been previously placed upon feed board A so as to overhang slots 36.

The sheet material is thus drawn onto the foldingtable 5 by the gripper assembly as the feed arm moves to the rear or toward the delivery end of the machine. At this end of the stroke, the pin or roller 33 on arm 30a rides under cam dog 37 which causes the gripper fingers to open and the'sheet material to be dropped upon the folding table in flat condition ready for the folding action of the longitudinal folding leaves 26 and the cross-fold levers.

Referring to Fig. 12, an embodiment of my invention is shown in which the operating means for the folding table are not dependent upon tnesubstantially vertical recipro catory motion of the table. In this form the folding table 5a is not mounted upon the vertically movable frame 7 as in the form first described, but is held in place by a cross bar mounted on the side frames 2. Folding levers or leaves 26a are pivotally connected to the table 5a, these pivots being lined and not moved vertically as in the form first described.

Connecting means are provided from the folding leaves 26a to the shaft 23 of the ma caine, so that motion imparted to the shaft 23 by means of roller 19 actuated by cam wheel 18, is transmitted to the folding members or plates 26a to open them to receive a towel or to close them to fold the towel at the proper time. The said connecting means includes a cam lever 71 for each member 266; secured to the shaft and having pivotal connection at 72 with link member 73. Link member 73 which has an intermediate transverse pivotal connection 74, is pivot-ally connected to lever 75 at 76. The lever 7 5 is pivotally secured to the cross-bar 70 at 77. A link 7 8 connects lever 75 with the lug 7 9 or fold member 26a.

' The table 5a with its folding members is shown in Fig. 12in partially open position.

The closed or folded position is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 12 with the towel or other limp or flexible sheet material indicated in folded condition at T.

I claim 1. Apparatus for folding sheetmaterial including a supporting frame, a folding tablecarried by said frame and having longitudinal side portions in pivotal relation to a central table portion and adapted to form two longitudinal folds in the sheet material, means for operating said side portionsto swing them over upon the stop of the central portion to form the fold and to swing them outwardly to lie substantially in the plane of the central portion to receive the sheet material to be folded, and means for crossfolding the longitudinally folded sheet mate rial. i 1 2. Apparatus for folding sheet material including a supporting frame, a folding table carried by said frame, said table having folded sheet of material, said first named means coacting to hold the folded sheet in place while the cross-fold is formed.

4. In a machine for fold'ingindividual sheets of material and in combination, means for forming a plurality of parallel folds in the individual sheet of material and means for forming a cross-fold in' the folded sheet material, said first named means coacting to 7 hold the folded sheet against lateral displacement while the cross-folding is performed.

5. In a folding machine for individual sheets of material and in combination, means for forming a plurality of parallel folds in the individual sheet of material and means for forming a plurality of cross-folds in the folded sheet material, said first named means coacting to hold the folded sheet against lateral displacement while the cross-folding is performed. n

6; A folding machine for individual sheets of material according to claim 5 in which said cross-folds are formed successively upon the material as folded by the prec'edingfolding action. I

7. In a folding machine for individual sheets of material and in combination, foldable plate means forreceiving and folding the sheet material, and tucker means for transversely folding the folded sheet material, said foldable plate means co-acting to hold the folded sheet against lateral displacement while the transverse folding is performed by said tucker means.

8. In a folding machine for sheet material and in combination, foldable platemeans for receiving andfolding the sheet material and comprising a central portion and parallel side portions. pivoted thereto, said foldable plate means being provided with a transverse slot through which the sheet material is exposed, and tucker means including a.

for receiving and folding the. sheet material and comprising a central portion and parallel side portions pivoted thereto, said foldable plate means being provided with a trans verse slot through which the sheet material is exposed, andv tucker means including a tucker arm having 'a blade adapted to enter said slot and engage the folded sheet material to form a transverse fold therein, and means for successively operating said foldable plate means and said tucker means, said operating means including a common power shaft and cam means for operating said foldable plate means and connection for operating said tucker means, a pair of rollers disposed beneath said transverse slot toreceive between them the folded material from the folded plate and to convey it to a delivery guide plate, and" means connected to said power shaft to drive the said rollers.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 including a third roller disposed adjacent one of the pair of rollers beyond the upper end of the delivery guide plate, a second tucker arm positioned for tucking the folded material on said deliveryguide plate between the third roller and the said one of the pair, a fourth roller disposed acent said third roller, a second deliveryguide plate leading from this juncture, a'third tucker arm positioned for tuckingthe folded'ma'terial between the third and fourth rollers and onto said second delivery guide plate, said rollers and tucker armsbeing driven by connections from said common power shaft.

11. In a folding machine for folding sheet material, and in combination, foldable plate means for receiving and folding the sheet material and comprising a central portion and parallel'side portions pivoted thereto, 'a

support, lever means pivoted to said support and operatively connected to said side portions, and cam drive means for actuating and controlling said lever means to open and close the side portions. 1 7

12. A folding machine according to claim 11 in which said cam drive means includes a grooved cam wheel, and a substantiallyvertically movable supporting frame for said foldable plate means, said frame having a portion riding in said cam groove.

13. In a folding machine for folding sheet material, and in combination, a support, a folding table, a delivery table adjacent the folding table, a feed lever connected to said support,,means for moving the upper end of saidfeed lever toward and away from said delivery table and along the folding table, material gripping means carried by the up per end of said lever and extending over said table, said gripping means including a rocker pivoted to the upper end of the feed lever and having a gripping jaw secured thereto, a second rocker pivoted to the first and carrying a second gripping jaw, a spring engaging said rockers to urge the jawstogether, and eccentric means connectedto said first rocker for equalizing the effect of the swinging'm0vement of the lever and maintaining said first rocker substantiallylevel during such movement. v

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 in which :said equalizing means includes an equalizing arm pivoted to said support and to said feed lever, said equalizing arm carrying an eccentric, and a rod pivotally connected to said first rocker and. having a yoke engaging said eccentric to be operatedthereby.

15. A folding machineaccording to claim 13 v in which a link connects the lower end of said feed lever with said support, and said equalizing means includes an equalizing arm pivoted to said support and to said feed lever, said equalizing arm carrying an eccentric, and a rod pivotally connected to said first rocker and having a yoke engaging said eccentric to be operated thereby to maintain the rocker substantially horizontal during movement of said feed lever, said equalizing arm also acting to constrain the upper end of the feed lever to a substantially horizontal path. 7 r

16. Apparatus according to claim 13 including an arm extending from said second rocker, and'cam dogs pivoted to said support at the ends of'tlie stroke of the feed lever, said arm having a pin to ride beneath said pivoted cam dog toopen the gripping jaws by moving the lower jaw away from the upper aw, said jaws closing upon the pin passing the cam and allowing return of the arm and second rocker to normalposition by means of said spring.

17. In a folding machine for sheet material and in combination, foldable plate means for receiving and folding the sheet material, and

tucker means for transversely folding the folded sheet 'material, said foldable plate means having a slot through which the sheet material is exposed,and said tucker means including a tucker arm having a blade adapted to enter said slot and engage the folded sheet material to form a transverse fold therein, and means for successivelv operating said foldable plate means and said tucker means.

18. Apparatus according to claim 9 including a third roller disposed adjacent one of the pair of rollers beyond the upper end of the delivery guide plate, a second tucker arm positioned for tucking the folded material on said delivery guide plate between the third roller and the said one of the pair, a fourth roller disposed adjacent said third roller, a second delivery guide plate leading from this juncture, a-third tucker arm positioned for tucking the folded material between the third and fourth rollers and onto said second delivery guide plate, said rollers and tucker arms being driven by connections from said common power shaft, a grooved cam wheel provided on said power shaft, and members disposed to ride in said cam groove and connected to said second and third tucker arms, and crank and lever connections from said cam wheel to said first mentioned tucker arm.

19. A folding machine according to claim 13 in which a link connects the lower end of said feed lever with said support, and said equalizing means includes an equalizing arm pivoted to said support and to said feed lever, said equalizing arm carrying an eccentric, and a rod pivotally connected to said first rocker and having a yoke engaging said eccentric to be operated thereby to maintain the rocker substantially horizontal during movement of said feed lever, said equalizing arm also acting to constrain the upper end of the feed lever to a substantially horizontal path, a lever on said support for forming a fold in material placed upon said table, said equalizing arm being in the form of a bell crank, one member of which is connected as set forth and the other member of which is connected to said fold lever to operate the same to form a fold when the feed lever is adjacent said delivery table.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

OTTO CARL SCHULZ. 

